Renfroe misses triple-double as Galatasaray downs Reggio Emilia

Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul boosted its chances in the race for Top 16 by downing visiting Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia 82-72 on Wednesday night. The win did not only improve Galatasaray’s record to 2-5, but by overcoming a 3-point Round 2 defeat, Galatasaray also won the potential tiebreaker over Reggio Emilia, which dropped to 3-4. In a game that went back and forth for three quarters, Alex Renfroe starred with 10 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in victory. Galatasaray, which pulled away with a 13-2 fourth-quarter run, saw Dwight Hardy score 20, Richard Hendrix collect 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, and Scotty Hopson add 17 points. Jalen Reynolds had 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Julian Wright finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds for Reggio Emilia. James White scoread 13, and Manuchar Markoishvili posted 10 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds in defeat.

The visitors scored first two baskets of the night, but Galatasaray made the first big run. Hardy had a steal that fueled things and Hopson had a pair of baskets in a 7-0 run, before a three from Hardy and a put-back from Renfroe sparked an 11-2 run, capped by an alley-oop from Renfroe to Hendrix that made it 18-9. But Reggio Emilia replied as Markoishvili hit a three and the visitors scored last 7 points of the first quarter, before Reynolds. Wright and Amedeo Della Valle with a mid-range jumper gave Reggio Emilia a 20-22 edge early in the second. Reynolds scored inside to extend it to 24-29, but the hosts scored the final 8 points of the half as Hardy and Hopson put Galatasaray back in front and Renfroe scored on a breakaway that made it 32-29 at halftime.

Emir Preldzic hit a triple early in the third for the hosts, but Reynolds dominated around the baskets, scoring quick 7 points, and White’s
jumper made it 36-38. Ege Arar and Hardy helped Galatasaray regain a slim lead and Hopson drove the baseline to make it 48-43. Hardy and Wright traded three-pointers, before Markoishvili converted a three-point play and Wright made consecutive put-backs that cut it to 56-55 late in the third quarter. Federico Mussini’s triple tied it at 59-59 early in the fourth, but Galatasaray needed only two minutes to gain separation; Hopson and Hendrix scored inside and Preldzic knocked one down from long range, making it 66-59. A tip-in from Renfroe and a close-range banker from Hopson extended the difference to 72-61 for the first double-digit lead of the night. Mussini hit another three for the visitors, but Preldzic, Hendrix and Renfroe found their way to the basket on consecutive possessions to restore a double-digit margin, 78-68. In the final minute, Wright scored inside, but Renfroe dished his 10th assist for Hopson to help the hosts win the tiebreak battle, too.

Head Coaches

KUNTER, ERMAN

Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul

“It was an important game for us, we are happy that we got the win. I think we played better than the first time we met them. We still keep our chances of qualifying alive and now we have another do-or-die game against Buducnost next week. We have to focus first on our league game, and then that game.”

MENETTI, MASSIMILIANO

Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia

“We did a good job for most of the game, but we defended horribly in the second half and let Galatasaray score 50 points. You cannot do this if you are playing a team like Galatasaray. We are going to prepare better for our next game in the EuroCup."

Players

HENDRIX, RICHARD

Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul

"It was a good win for us, a step in the right direction. That was a good Reggio Emilia team. We have to stay the course, and prepare for the next round."

TAYLOR, JORDAN

Galatasaray Odeabank Istanbul

"It’s a great win. We had team effort, we had balance and played tough defense. That’s how we have to play if we want to compete with teams in the EuroCup. It’s a good step forward. We have to keep building and keep improving."